DALLAS, TEXAS - OCTOBER 16: Aaron Wiggins #2 of the Atlanta Hawks is defended by Naji Marshall #3 of the Dallas Mavericks during a preseason game at American Airlines Center on October 16, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the GettyImages License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This is the second of a series of roundtable questions I’m asking the staff here at Peachtree Hoops about the Hawks this upcoming season. The second question: who will have the biggest breakout performance and why?
Wes: For me, Aaron Wiggins has a chance to shine in a featured bench role. The Thunder were so deep that Wiggins often ended up on the fringe of the rotation, but he has legitimate creation ability off the bounce and a good enough, though shaky, feel to be a CJ McCollum-lite bucket getter.
I think he’ll be a better team defender and passer than McCollum, however, and play in the screen, move and quick decision offense that Quin Snyder has set up. He’s just 27, the same age as Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s breakout last season. Maybe, just maybe, the Hawks can make it three straight Most Improved Player award winners.
Garrett: I’m going with Aaron Wiggins. The Hawks have shown what they can do when players get the right opportunity — just ask Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. I think Wiggins could be the next player to benefit from that environment. He has the tools to flourish in Quin Snyder’s system, and I like the idea of him becoming a dependable sixth man who provides a spark on both ends.
Graham: A couple Hawks spring to mind. I would agree with the sentiment that Aaron Wiggins has an opportunity to really excel here with Atlanta. There should be ample opportunities for corner threes for him here, and he shot 48% in the right corner from three. If he can swing his left corner threes up from 30% this season he becomes another three-point option for Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, CJ McCollum, and Dyson Daniels to kick out to the corner to.
But in the interest of something different – prior to his injury – I would have enjoyed to see how Mo Gueye’s development would have looked like this season. Gueye’s improved touch from three-point range in addition to his length and athleticism are still interesting elements to monitor this season. I don’t have anything more to really add; I was just really looking forward to seeing more Mo Gueye.
Asa Newell is also someone I’m really interested to see in Year 2; he had a really encouraging touch from three and could roll to the rim, but it just became harder to play him as the Hawks began to zone in on an automatic playoff berth. Jalen Johnson was in a similar boat in his rookie season, and now I wonder if Newell may follow a similar step in Year 2 where he gets real minutes this season. If he does, I expect him to be productive.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 23: Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Justin Crawford #2 hits the ball during the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Milwaukee Brewers on September 23rd, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
There are two questions about how we assess Justin Crawford’s rookie season. How is he impacting a club that intended to contend for a World Series title in 2026? And does his rookie season, even if it wasn’t perfect, show a player that can stick on the roster for 2027 and beyond?
Since the Phillies have not had many rookie position players to get significant playing time during this run, we have to go back to Bryson Stott’s 2022 season for a second. It wasn’t some great year. He had an 84 wRC+ for the season and looked ok at shortstop but not enough to stick there. But there were generally positive signs, he finished with 1.3 fWAR, and as the year went on he improved more and more with facing major league arms.
Justin Crawford’s rookie season was… not like that.
In a Phillies outfield that faced significant questions as the season went on, Justin Crawford played against right-handed pitching. It never quite got to the point it with Andrew Painter where he needed a AAA stint despite no other alternatives. Whether it was Adolis Garcia’s ineffectiveness at the plate, Brandon Marsh’s second half, or trotting out players like Gabriel Rincones jr, Felix Reyes, and Otto Kemp, Crawford was never the biggest question mark they had. In the month of August, he was the best thing going for them in the outfield.
His raw athleticism stood out on a team without a lot of it. He stole 17 bases, showed off a couple of bunt hits as time went on, and he sometimes showed off plus range in center field. There will be questions asked later about how often this stuff actually needs to happen but there are a few moments where he looked the part.
What went wrong
This is where it gets tough to separate what the Phillies needed him to be in 2026 and how to project him moving forward.
Objectively speaking, the Phillies needed better play in center field. He had an 80 wRC+ with concerning trends. Crawford’s swing and approach are polarizing but it just didn’t translate to the big leagues. He had a 57.5% groundball rate and carried a .317 BABIP in spite of it. The put it on the ground and win with your legs approach only goes so far in an age where infield defense is more important to teams than ever.
He did not walk nearly enough to make the profile work. He also didn’t hit for any power, which isn’t surprising given how often he is smacking the ball into the ground but a .089 ISO is not good enough.
The overall offensive profile doesn’t show enough proof of concept to expect much improvement over time without significant changes. He needs to hit more line drives and to walk more. Doing both of those things will better unlock his baserunning potential as well. No, I’m not asking Justin Crawford to try and hit 40 home runs but he does require significant changes. Changes the Phillies may not be willing to make.
Some of this would be a lot easier to justify if the defense was strong. Crawford graded out as one of the worst defensive center fielders in baseball. He ranked 27th in Defensive Runs Saved among 29 outfielders with at least 500 innings in center field. He finished 25th in Outs Above Average in the same set.
He just did not get consistent jumps or good enough routes. He has great speed but so does nearly every center fielder in 2026 so the technical issues are harder to handle.
Just taking a look at one play, Crawford took a banana route on this line drive hit by Brett Baty. This is a play every center fielder has to make, probably without a slide at all. He has to trap it in his glove.
If you want to look at it metrically, it had a 95% catch probability according to BaseballSavant.
Given how bad the Phillies were defensively, it’s not just Trea Turner who warrants a position change but if Justin Crawford is going to be on the Phillies in 2027, it should probably be in left field.
Final grade: C-?
I don’t feel great about it but I will grade on a curve because he is a rookie and it is just hard.
To me, the concern is in the numbers from his 2026 season but just looking at the bigger picture, what ceiling here can Justin Crawford actually obtain? That question just seems hard to answer because he just didn’t do enough well or put together enough underlying trends to feel good about.
Without significant changes that are different than anything he did in the minor leagues or in 2026 with the Phillies, this doesn’t look like a player to keep around long-term. Or even in 2027.
Sandy Alomar would be a recognizable name in baseball circles if for no other reason than he fathered two major leaguers – his namesake Sandy, who caught in the bigs for almost two decades, and Hall of Famer Roberto, who also won a pair of World Series championships with the Toronto Blue Jays.
The elder Sandy had a major league career of his own though, one that included a brief stop in New York for a couple of seasons. He was gone before the Yankees broke a long World Series drought in 1977, but Alomar’s tenure in the Bronx did enable him to experience postseason baseball for the one and only time in his career.
Santos Alomar Conde Born: October 19, 1943 (Salinas, Puerto Rico) Died: October 13, 2025 (Salinas, Puerto Rico) Yankees Tenure: 1974-76
In 1973, Sandy Alomar was 29 years old, playing for the California Angels, his fifth club since he debuted with the Milwaukee Braves in 1964. To that point, his durability was his claim to fame. By September, he’d appeared in 648 consecutive games. Unfortunately, he suffered a broken leg while turning a double play against the Chicago White Sox. That broken leg snapped his iron man streak. It also changed the trajectory of his career.
That offseason, the Angels brought in Denny Doyle from Philadelphia to man the keystone, relegating Alomar to a utility role for the Angels. That lasted until July 8, 1974, when the Yankees purchased his contract from California.
Alomar quickly acclimated to New York, hitting .269 for the Yankees in 1974. Unfortunately, the Yanks finished two games back of the pennant-winning Orioles, so instead of playing October baseball, Alomar returned to Puerto Rico as he did every winter to play ball there.
Alomar got off to a very slow start in ’75. By late July, he’d been mired in a four-month slump. Murray Chass wrote for the New York Times that:
“…physically he doesn’t really resemble Rip Van Winkle. For a while, though, it seemed as if the Yankee second baseman might challenge the Sleepy Hollow napper for the New York State sleeping title.”
But Alomar started to come out of his funk and carried a hot stick into August. Over a nine-game stretch that culminated in a three-hit, two-stolen base performance on August 7th, Alomar went 13-for-34 (.382), raising his batting average 23 points, safely above the Mendoza Line at .217.
Alas, there was no playoff baseball in ’75 either. The Yanks finished the season 12 games back of the Red Sox, who went on to lose an all-time great World Series to The Big Red Machine, depriving Alomar of playoff baseball yet again.
The 1976 season saw Willie Randolph come into his own as the Yankees’ second baseman. Accordingly, Alomar once again found himself the utility man. For the ’76 Yanks, Alomar played all over the field. He neither pitched nor caught but otherwise manned every position on the diamond. And the ’76 Yankees won the pennant, their first since 1964. For the first and ultimately only time in his career, Sandy Alomar got to play October baseball. He pinch-hit in Game 4 of the ALCS, flying out to end a Yankee loss to Kansas City. It was the only playoff plate appearance of his career.
He did have the best seat in the house though for Chris Chambliss’ famous pennant-winning home run in Game 5. Having pinch-run for DH Carlos May earlier in the game, Alomar was in the on-deck circle when Chambliss propelled the Yankees to the World Series.
Alomar did not appear in the World Series, which the Yankees lost to the Reds, who notched their second consecutive title.
That was it for Alomar in pinstripes. In February 1977, the Yankees dealt him to the Rangers in a deal that brought Brian Doyle and Greg Pryor to New York. Alomar played two seasons for the Rangers before they released him, ultimately ending his major league career. Baseball was not done with Alomar, however. He coached the Puerto Rican national team from 1979-1984 and, obviously, had two sons who went on to long and distinguished major league careers.
Sandy Alomar died less than a week before his 82nd birthday, on October 13, 2025, in his hometown in Puerto Rico.
Sandy Alomar was not a Yankee for long. But his stay in the Big Apple allowed him his sole taste of MLB postseason baseball, though his time came to end a year too early for him to win a championship. Happy birthday to the patriarch of one of baseball’s most famous families.
DALLAS, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 25: Moussa Cisse #30 of the Dallas Mavericks poses for portraits at Mavericks Media Day at American Airlines Center on September 25, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the GettyImages License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s no secret that backup center is currently the biggest question mark for the Philadelphia 76ers’ roster, a situation exacerbated by Ariel Hukporti’s season-ending Achilles injury. As Mike Gansey surveys the NBA landscape for a solution, one name that has come up is current Dallas Mavericks center Moussa Cisse. Per reporting from Marc Stein:
“If Cissé were to be waived Monday and then clear waivers Wednesday, I’m also told that the 76ers and Lakers would have strong interest in signing him to a two-way deal even though neither team currently has a two-way opening.”
However: “The Stein Line has learned, however, that Cissé is a real candidate to be claimed off waived in the event he is let go. Chicago, sources say, has interest in the high-energy big man. I’m told Atlanta also has interest even though the Hawks don’t currently have an open standard spot.”
Obviously, there are a few if-then’s in play here. The Mavericks would need to waive Cisse, no one would have to pick him up off waivers (something Stein thinks would happen), and he would need to select Philadelphia as his two-way spot destination (something I think would have a good chance of happening given the relatively clear path to some playing time).
On Monday, it became increasingly less likely Dallas would be waiving Cisse, as they instead released veteran Dwight Powell.
The Dallas Mavericks are waiving veteran center Dwight Powell, sources tell ESPN.
So I wouldn’t be ordering those Cisse custom black Iverson-era jerseys just yet. Still, the 6-foot-11, 24-year-old is highly athletic and fits the rim-running, shot blocker role the Sixers are looking for in a backup. He’s a name to keep an eye on over the next few days.
More broadly looking at the center position, Philadelphia has a few options at the moment. Joel Embiid is healthy and ready to start on opening night against the New York Knicks. The team also feels good about Adem Bona returning from his foot injury to take the floor after missing the entire preseason. Bona recently had this to say to reporters about making his way back to the court the last few weeks:
“Mentally, it’s been great. I’ve been able to come back. Getting back out there, working with the team. I’ve had amazing practices with the team. It’s been great. I’m feeling good and excited to get back out there on the court. It’s been going good so far.”
He added the following on his availability for the opener:
“Yeah. It’s going to come down to the coaches and the medical staff, but I’m just day to day and I’m excited for (Tuesday) night.”
With Jabari Walker and Dean Wade (though he’s also banged up) available as small-ball five options in certain situations, the Sixers appear set as long as everyone is healthy. For games where Embiid is sitting due to load management on a back-to-back, we would expect recent two-way signing Tacko Fall to assume some minutes. The Sixers have five back-to-backs prior to Dec. 4.
Dec. 4 is a significant date because given the pro-rated nature minimum signings against the salary cap, that is when the team would be able to fill the 15th roster spot with a free agent center option and still remain under the salary cap apron. Kevin Love is one name mentioned often due to the LeBron connection. Another option would be to trade for someone making around the minimum, with Justin Edwards a salary-match candidate with a $2.4 million contract this season and a team option next season that would effectively operate as an expiring. Philadelphia could certainly go the trade route with Cisse, for example.
Undoubtedly, the Sixers would like to have more confident options at their disposal. However, given the strength of the rest of the roster, there are certainly worse problems a team could have heading into a season. We know the front office will continue to monitor the market and look for the best path forward in the days and weeks ahead.
For two or three years now, it’s been standard to nod approvingly at how well-run Brighton, Brentford and Bournemouth are, and to move on. What else is there to say? It’s true, of course – these are sides who have made the most of relatively limited resources. But there’s also an underlying assumption in the designation: that these are clubs who have no higher aspiration, that their limit is earning praise for upper mid-table finishes.
This season, perhaps, offers an opportunity to change that. Other than Arsenal, every major club is undergoing significant transition. Manchester City may have started the season with seven straight wins, but there’s every chance the punishment for their multiple breaches of Premier League regulations takes them out of the race for the top five. In that context, why shouldn’t one of those efficient smaller sides qualify for the Champions League?
The Rangers’ first potential reinforcement has arrived.
Veteran center Luke Glendening signed a professional tryout agreement with the Blueshirts on Monday, The Post first reported. The signing comes on the heels of fourth-line center Joe Veleno going on long-term injured reserve for three to three-and-a-half months with a lower-body injury.
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The 37-year-old Glendening played for the Devils and Flyers last season. After turning a PTO into a one-year contract in Newark, the Devils waived Glendening in March and he was claimed by Philadelphia.
He posted two goals, seven assists and a 52.9 faceoff win percentage in 70 games between the two clubs.
A veteran of over 930 games, Glendening spent the first eight seasons of his NHL career playing for his home team, the Red Wings. He has since made stops in Dallas, Tampa Bay, New Jersey and Philly.
As of this season, a mid-season PTO lasts for a maximum of 10 days under the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Players aren’t allowed to play in games.
The Rangers have signed Luke Glendening to a PTO. NHLI via Getty Images
If another NHL team makes a contract offer during the PTO, his team has a right of first refusal to match the contract within 48 hours.
The one-year contract Glendening signed with the Devils last year was worth the league minimum of $775,000. This season, the league minimum is $850,000.
On Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, LeBron James will make his regular-season debut for the Sixers and begin his record 24th NBA season. Philadelphia is his fourth franchise and fifth NBA stint, counting his two runs in Cleveland.
It’s happening.
This season will bring the obvious milestones and memorable performances. It will also bring smaller moments that help tell the story of James’ time in Philadelphia. The LeBron Log will keep track of both.
Check back throughout the season for new entries. For now, let’s get started with No. 1.
TEAM DEBUTS
Tuesday’s setting carries its own twist.
James told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin at Sixers media day that he had “visions” of playing at Madison Square Garden and finishing his career there. The Knicks’ championship changed those plans.
Instead, James will begin his Philadelphia chapter from the visiting locker room while New York raises its championship banner.
Few road arenas have treated him better. James owns a 24-9 record in 33 games at Madison Square Garden, averaging 28.2 points, 7.4 assists and 6.9 rebounds.
His previous debut games with new teams and stints have not gone nearly as well.
Oct. 29, 2003: Cavaliers at Kings
An 18-year-old James recorded 25 points, nine assists, six rebounds and four steals in his first NBA game. He shot 12 of 20 from the floor, but Sacramento won, 106-92.
Oct. 26, 2010: Heat at Celtics
The highly anticipated debut of Miami’s James-Dwyane Wade-Chris Bosh trio began in Boston. James scored 31 points, but the Celtics held off the Heat, 88-80.
Oct. 30, 2014: Knicks at Cavaliers
This is the closest parallel to Tuesday.
James’ return to Cleveland produced a deafening reception and enormous expectations. The Knicks spoiled the homecoming. James finished with 17 points, five rebounds, four assists and eight turnovers as New York won, 95-90.
Oct. 18, 2018: Lakers at Trail Blazers
James opened his Lakers career with 26 points, 12 rebounds and six assists. Portland still handed Los Angeles a 128-119 loss.
That makes four previous stint debuts and four losses. James averaged 24.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists across those games.
Tuesday gives him his first opportunity to win one. The same franchise that spoiled his Cleveland return will stand in his way again.
TAKING CHARGE
Friday’s preseason finale offered an early example of the smaller moments worth tracking throughout James’ first season in Philadelphia.
With 8:56 remaining in the third quarter and the Sixers leading the Celtics, 69-62, Luka Garza missed a three-pointer. Ron Harper Jr. grabbed the offensive rebound before the ball returned to Garza.
James established position outside the restricted area and absorbed the contact from the 6-foot-10, 243-pound center. The whistle blew for a charge, and the Sixers’ bench erupted.
There was more behind the celebration than one preseason possession.
Maxey said the Sixers had encountered a similar situation during practice. Adem Bona rolled toward the basket with James waiting in his path, but the 41-year-old moved aside. James assured his teammates that he would take the contact once they played an actual game.
“We don’t want Bona running Bron over,” Maxey joked.
James kept his word, putting his body in front of a center during the Sixers’ final exhibition game.
The moment also stood out to 20-year-old rookie Labaron Philon.
“Everybody jumped up off the bench and was pretty happy for him that a guy really that old was still putting his body on the line for us in a preseason game,” Philon said. “That really tells it all. … I hope he can bring that to Tuesday and for the rest of the season. I want to see some more of those.”
EXTRA, EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT IT
James appeared on a SLAM cover before he played a minute in the NBA.
In August 2002, James and fellow high school star Sebastian Telfair shared the cover of SLAM 62. The issue was titled “The Takeover,” and its cover predicted that the two teenagers were about to rule the basketball world.
More than 24 years later, James is back on the cover.
The Sixers star fronts SLAM 265 in his new No. 23 uniform. The cover reads, “This is my last run. Part II,” followed by the title, “Leaving the Legacy.”
The standard edition costs $13.99. It is the first of five covers for SLAM’s December 2026/January 2027 issue and includes 82 pages and a pullout poster.
SLAM also opened a 48-hour ordering window for a $65 Orange Metal version. It will remain available through Wednesday at 11 a.m. ET. Each copy will be numbered, and 24 customers will randomly receive an even rarer Platinum Metal edition instead. A $125 Gold Metal version, limited to 94 copies, has already sold out.
With injuries quickly beginning to pile up, the Philadelphia Flyers have turned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, tapping two exciting forward prospects for NHL call-ups ahead of Monday night's game against the Colorado Avalanche.
On Sunday, the Flyers made an interesting roster move, shorting themselves a healthy forward by sending center Jack Studnicka down to the AHL and re-calling defenseman Hunter McDonald, rather than another forward, while also placing Cam York on injured reserve and assigning Helge Grans to the Phantoms.
To solve the puzzle, though, the Flyers made the state of the roster clearer on Monday, as they re-called wingers Alex Bump and Cole Knuble from the Phantoms, filling the two vacant roster spots left by the demotions of Studnicka and Grans.
Bump and Knuble are both expected to play against the Avalanche on Monday night, with the latter in line to make his NHL debut having just over a dozen games of professional experience.
Knuble, 22, has a goal, three assists, and four points in six AHL games this season, featuring as a top-line winger for John Snowden's Phantoms.
Bump, who started the season on the Flyers' roster, has scored a goal in each of the five AHL games he's played this season, erupting for a total of seven goals, an assist, and eight points.
The 22-year-old last played for the Flyers in their third game of the season, a 3-2 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Oct. 3. Prior to that, though, Bump had been benched by Tocchet in a 3-2 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 1.
But, with Travis Konecny still on injured reserve and Owen Tippett and Tyson Foerster nursing upper-body injuries, the Flyers are in desperate need of healthy wingers with scoring talent, and they've made their moves, replacing Studnicka.
It is also currently unclear if Sean Couturier will play against Colorado on Monday, which could make for even more opportunities for Bump and Knuble if the Flyers' captain has to sit out.
With the Flyers getting hit hard by injuries, Bump, Knuble, Jacob Gaucher and Hunter McDonald were called up. Rick Tocchet said there’s a “good possibility” Bump and Knuble play Monday when the Flyers host the Avalanche at Xfinity Mobile Arena (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP). It’s uncertain if Gaucher or McDonald will play.
For Knuble, it would be his NHL debut. And a pretty cool one. He’ll be playing for the team he grew up watching. His father Mike Knuble played 338 career regular-season games for the Flyers over two stints with the club.
“I’ve been a fan of this team my whole life,” Knuble said Monday after morning skate, “so I think it’s extra special.”
Some of his childhood was spent at this arena.
“I probably remember the family lounge more and playing mini sticks with my brother,” Knuble said. “But I remember little things — Peco power play was around, so all of that stuff.”
Knuble has been a riser in the Flyers’ system. The 22-year-old forward had a strong camp and preseason. With the Phantoms, he had a goal, three assists and 19 shots in six games.
“I’m going to bring energy and compete,” Knuble said. “I’m going to be moving every shift.”
Nathan MacKinnon and the Avalanche are in town. Colorado is scoring 4.50 goals per game.
Bump scored a blistering seven goals (two of them empty-netters) in five games with Lehigh Valley. He also collected an assist and fired 27 shots.
“Try to make it hard on them to keep me down there,” Bump said.
The 22-year-old winger was scoreless with four shots for the Flyers.
“Building the confidence again,” Bump said. “I think I kind of got away from my game up here, so I think it was good for me to go back down and just kind of find it and play freely.”
On the Flyers’ injury front, Travis Konecny (lower body), Owen Tippett (upper body), Rasmus Ristolainen (left hand) and Cam York (upper body) have been ruled out against Colorado.
Sean Couturier and Tyson Foerster are game-time decisions. Both missed practice Sunday, but they tested things out on the ice at Monday’s optional skate. Couturier is banged up but could be good to go. Foerster, though, did not look real comfortable testing out his right hand.
The 24-year-old winger blocked a shot in the Flyers’ 3-1 win Saturday night over the Senators. At one point Monday, he left morning skate, but he then returned for some more work.
Tyson Foerster testing out his right hand. He took a shot there last game and missed practice Sunday.
After this, he talked to the trainer. He shook his head slightly, doesn’t look like it feels great for him. He ended up leaving skate just now. pic.twitter.com/YwgSrMmfM7
The Flyers (1-6-3) have a tall order against the Avalanche (5-2-1), a high-powered team that’s scoring 4.50 goals per game.
“The best way against that team is you’ve got to protect the middle of the ice and you’ve got to be aggressive,” Tocchet said. “You play Colorado or these teams, you don’t back up. It’s the opposite, you want to be aggressive, you want to squash a play.”
The Boston Celtics capped a vibes-filled preseason in the most Celtics way possible: Trotting out a starting five in which four players — likely bound for Maine and waived almost immediately after the team’s final preseason tuneup — toppled a Hall-of-Famer-filled starting five of the new-look Sixers, including old friend Jaylen Brown.
Boston produced a 4-0 preseason. Far more importantly, the team doubled down on an identity it started carving out last season and built around three main tenets: Be the hardest-playing team, win the margins, and do both those things regardless of the personnel combinations that Joe Mazzulla puts on the floor.
There are still a bunch of lingering questions as the regular season arrives — we’ll tackle a few of those in a bit — but let’s start with five reasons for optimism as the Celtics prepare to dive into the 82-game grind.
1. Jayson Tatum looks ready to be Jayson Tatum
Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
A healthy Jayson Tatum playing at an All-NBA level is the key to Boston remaining competitive in the East.
If a longer-than-expected offseason had only one benefit, it is this: Jayson Tatum looks and sounds like he’s back to his old self. Tatum has admitted that he’s in a far better place, both mentally and physically, than when he first returned to action in March. Entering Year 10, and further removed from the Achilles injury that limited his availability last season, Tatum appears ready to shoulder the hefty load the team will heap upon him after its offseason changes.
Tatum checked all the preseason boxes. The scoring looked effortless. He shot the 3-pointer well (38.9 percent). He routinely generated quality looks for teammates. He was active on the glass. The stat line is going to pop this year. Tatum looked like a player who is ready to muscle back into the MVP conversation.
Tatum has always had a great appreciation for some of the stuff that NBA superstars eventually take for granted. He’s repeatedly noted this preseason how the uncertainty he faced a year ago has made him appreciate the minutiae of NBA life, including simply being on the court with his teammates throughout training camp.
“I think when you’re sitting on the sideline for as long as he did, you kind of see the game a little bit differently,” said teammate Derrick White. “I just think that he’s more confident. I thought he looked pretty good last year and so just getting that confidence, getting over the mental hurdle that everybody says is the toughest part about it.”
The bottom line: A healthy Tatum playing at an All-NBA level is the key to Boston remaining competitive in a beefed-up Eastern Conference. The early returns have been encouraging.
2. Hugo Gonzalez’s jumper could change the conversation
Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
Hugo Gonzalez adding a dependable jumper will only make it easier for Joe Mazzulla to keep him on the floor.
We resisted the urge to put this at No. 1.
Gonzalez finished 11-of-20 shooting (55 percent) from beyond the arc in four preseason appearances. That number should come back down to Earth a bit, but hopefully the confidence with which Gonzalez is chucking those triples will not.
The release looks quicker. The confidence looks higher. Gonzalez shot 36.2 percent beyond the arc in his rookie season — right around league average — but being able to consistently knock down 3s is only going to help keep Gonzalez on the floor for a team overflowing with wing options.
Still, we marvel at the confidence in preseason situations. Watching Gonzalez and buddy Baylor Scheierman shoot before training camp practices, Scheierman seemed to make everything he hoisted, while Gonzalez could be a bit more streaky.
Then the games started, and Gonzalez thrived from distance.
There was a sequence in the final Philadelphia meeting where Scheierman zipped a pass to the corner in transition and Gonzalez went straight into his shot. No hesitation. Just a confident catch-and-shoot 3 on his way to 21 points.
We already knew that Gonzalez will make good things happen on both ends with his activity. The lasting image from his rookie campaign was his willingness to go joust with Joel Embiid in Game 7 of a playoff series. Adding a dependable jumper will only make it easier for Mazzulla to keep Gonzalez on the floor.
3. Paul George’s defense can make life easier on the offense
Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Even at age 36, Paul George is active in passing lanes and routinely causing deflections.
Doc Rivers made this point on a recent Celtics Talk Podcast: You might not fully appreciate how good George can be, defensively, until he’s on your team. The preseason offered a pretty convincing introduction.
George was a constant disruptor. Even at age 36, he’s active in passing lanes, routinely causing deflections and generating seven steals overall in two appearances. Even more importantly, Boston turned many of those takeaways into transition points.
Generating some easy points off turnovers could be vital as the Celtics carve out an offensive identity without Brown. But the defense, overall, is intriguing considering how good the Celtics were on that end even before adding two guys like George and Mitchell Robinson.
Slot George and Tatum at the forward spots, then add White doing All-Defense things at the guard position, and you can see the outline of an elite defense. Add in a Boston team that might be the best rebounding group in the NBA and things get real tough for opposing teams on the margins.
4. Payton Pritchard’s next jump might be as a playmaker
Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Payton Pritchard racked up 11 assists in the Celtics’ preseason game against the Hornets.
We know Pritchard can score inside despite giving up size. But, going back through the tape, what stuck out was how often his penetration sucked in multiple defenders and created opportunities for teammates around him.
Neemias Queta was a frequent beneficiary against Charlotte. That leaves us intrigued by how Mazzulla will deploy talent and how much that combo will play together.
The Celtics need Pritchard’s scoring in the aftermath of Brown’s departure, but part of any leap he makes again this season could be tied to impacting the game even more as a playmaker.
Maybe the best part is that Pritchard is setting a tone about roles, doubling down on his assertion that it doesn’t matter if he starts or comes off the bench, he simply wants to pile up minutes and impact winning.
“The starting conversation is kind of funny. To me, a starter is the amount of minutes you play,” said Pritchard. “Do you finish games? Are you playing 30-plus minutes? Then you are a starter.
“How do you impact the game is what really matters to me. I don’t really care — this might be an ego thing — I don’t really care to hear my name called at the beginning of the game. The first five minutes of the game really have no effect on the game. So if that is what Joe thinks benefits our team the most, is me coming off the bench and playing those minutes, then I’m going to do it. And I’m going to try to be the best at those minutes. That’s my only thought process.”
5. Depth remains a Boston calling card …
Tucker DeVries, Hayden Gray, Gabe McGlothan, and Milos Uzan were part of Boston’s starting five that toppled the Sixers. They were waived a few hours later with hopes they will all land in Maine as affiliated players.
But the success of the “red team” — the deepest reserves, most on Exhibit 10 contracts in camp — was a staunch reminder that Mazzulla can and will lean on depth throughout the roster. As his Game 7 lineup versus Philly showed last season, he won’t be afraid to mix and match as the situation requires.
Which coincides with the second half of this optimism bullet point:
… and the development pipeline has some intriguing projects
Rookie Chris Cenac Jr. is incredibly raw. But he’s also still a teenager, and you can see all the potential to impact the game with his size, length, and athleticism. Both him and rookie two-way Dillon Mitchell ought to spend a lot of time with Maine this season, but those reps — and time behind the scenes in Boston’s player development factory — could be key in breeding future depth.
Heck, even the Celtics’ assistant coaches got important reps this season with Mazzulla handing the head coaching reins to Tony Dobbins, DJ MacLeay, and Sam Cassell at various times this preseason.
The Celtics are getting contributions from every player and coach on the roster. But now the real games begin and we’ll see if they can maintain the vibes.
The big questions going into the year:
1. Can Boston stay healthy?
Tatum missed Game 7 while still working his way back from the Achilles injury; George and fellow offseason addition Mitchell Robinson have to prove they can stay on the floor, even if the team will likely manage their overall workloads. Boston has the ability to lean into its depth, but it also needs to keep its main guys on the floor.
2. How does Mazzulla deploy his depth?
Mazzulla has no shortage of options in how he crafts lineups. Robinson and Neemias Queta should eat the bulk of the 48 minutes at the center position, but who starts game to game could vary. The bigger question might be at the fifth starter spot. Does Mazzulla lean on a defensive-minded wing (like a Jordan Walsh who got multiple preseason starts with the core starters), or does someone like Baylor Scheierman or Sam Hauser elevate to that spot based on matchups. What combos give the bench the best ability to thrive?
3. How will Boston fill the Brown void?
Replacing Brown will be collaborative for the Celtics. Maybe Tatum gets a whole bunch more shots and fills much of the scoring void on his own. But no one can individually replace what Brown brought to both ends. And the team will have to morph a bit in his absence. Can George (or Pritchard or White) be strong secondary scoring options on nights that Tatum is either struggling or defenses are blanketing? Brown routinely loved taking on the challenge of defending the opposing team’s top scoring options. Even on Day 1 against Cade Cunningham and the Pistons, who takes on the lion’s share of that defensive assignment?
Answers are coming soon. After nearly six months, it’s finally time for real basketball in Boston again.
UNITED STATES - OCTOBER 13: Charles Davalan #6 of the Glendale Desert Dogs makes a play for an out during the game between the River Rafters and the Desert Dogs at Camelback Ranch on Tuesday, October 13, 2026 in Glendale, AZ United States. (Photo by Norm Hall/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Some news and notes from the Arizona Fall League, in which Dodgers prospects play for the Glendale Desert Dogs.
Charles Davalan, the outfielder who was named 2026 Midwest League MVP for his work this season with High-A Great Lakes, had been playing second base in the AFL. He has just five hits in 30 at-bats — plus three walks and five times hit by a pitch for a .333 on-base percentage — but four of those hits came in the last week. That included a solo home run last Monday in Scottsdale.
Charles in charge 💣@dodgers No. 6 prospect Charles Davalan blasts his first home run of the fall. In 2026, Davalan launched 24 across High-A and Double-A pic.twitter.com/CiK1e17LOa
Third baseman Chase Harlan has two home runs, a double, and seven walks in eight games thus far in Arizona, hitting .269/.444/.538 in his 36 plate appearances. His second home run of the season came last Sunday, October 11.
“Dodgers right-hander Sam Horn threw an inning in that game, working 94-95 mph with a slider at 82-84 mph. The fastball was fairly flat, and the curveball was mostly down and out of the zone,” Law wrote. “Seeing him throwing at all in the AFL was a positive. He showed a good pickoff move, for what that’s worth.”
Dodgers prospect Sam Horn strikes out the side in his second outing this Fall!
— MLB's Arizona Fall League (@MLBazFallLeague) October 7, 2026
Brooks Auger, the Dodgers’ sixth-round pick in 2024 out of Mississippi State, allowed two runs in two innings with three strikeouts last Monday in his second start thus far in Arizona. Law at The Athletic wrote, “ had the best arsenal among potential starters, showing five distinct pitches, highlighted by a 95-98 mph fastball and a plus changeup with a ton of fading action.”
A season after the Mets (and every other team but the White Sox) passed on slugging Japanese infielder Munetaka Murakami, another intriguing Japanese star is about to hit the market.
The Hanshin Tigers have granted infielder and reigning NPB MVP Teruaki Sato's request to be posted this offseason, according to Yakyu Cosmopolitan, paving the way for him to sign with an MLB team before the expected lockout on Dec. 1.
Sato, 27, won the Triple Crown in Japan this year after slashing .306/.383/.609 with 39 home runs, 40 doubles, 100 runs scored, and 106 RBI in 143 games for Hanshin.
He hit .278/.345/.579 with 40 home runs, 34 doubles, and 102 RBI in 139 games in 2025 as he won the Central League MVP award.
Sato, a third baseman, would very likely have to slide over to first base in a world where he lands in Queens and Bo Bichette doesn't opt out of his contract.
New York's in-house options at first base for next season include Jared Young and Jorge Polanco. However, Young doesn't hit for much power and struggles against left-handed pitching, while Polanco is an unknown following a 2026 season that was derailed by injury.
Regarding Bichette, he has opt-outs after this season and the 2027 season. However, it's difficult to envision him exercising it this offseason, with him set to get an AAV of $42 million in both 2027 and 2028.
These moves come as Toronto is in the midst of a three-game losing streak, with a 4-1 defeat to the New York Islanders on Saturday.
The San Jose Sharks are in town for a Monday night clash. It's possible that Lettieri makes his debut for the Maple Leafs, which would be his first NHL appearance since April 2025.
The 31-year-old has had a great start to the AHL season with the Toronto Marlies. He's notched three goals and nine points in five minor-league games.
As for Akhtyamov, appearing in the NHL this season was inevitable given the Calder Cup run he had in the American League last year.
The 24-year-old netminder played 22 games and registered a .923 save percentage and a 2.22 goals-against average. That performance earned him the title of AHL playoff MVP.
The Russian goalie hasn't been off to such a great start this season, numbers-wise. In three games for the Marlies, he's posted an .882 SP and a 2.94 GAA while earning a 2-1-0 record. He's been splitting starts with the other goaltender, Samuel Hlavaj, who also has a 2-1-0 record, but with a .870 SP and a 3.01 GAA.
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CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 18: Richie Palacios #1 and Chandler Simpson #14 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrate their 3-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians in game five of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field on October 18, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Team news
[MLB] D-backs prospect Patrick Forbes discusses his pitching repertoire, his development playing in the Arizona Fall League and more
[Roundtable.io] Will Diamondbacks’ Garcia Take Another Leap in 2027? – Depending on which veteran players end up departing, some of the Diamondbacks’ younger players may end up having greater responsibility. One such player is left-hander Brandyn Garcia… Garcia joins a list of young players, such as Ryan Waldschmidt and Jordan Lawlar, who can play bigger roles for Arizona in the future. Given the amount of time they have logged so far, it would not be surprising to see them become mainstays on the field as soon as next season.
[MLB] Confident Rays quiet Cleveland, return home one win from World Series – The Rays are just one win away from the World Series, headed back to Tropicana Field with every ounce of momentum in the ALCS. Sunday’s 3-1 win in Game 5 felt even more convincing than the low score suggests, giving the Rays a 3-2 lead in the series. If the Rays advance, it would guarantee a first-time champion as neither the Rays nor the Brewers have won a World Series since their organizations entered the league. “We need to rebound tomorrow,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “I know we’re going to have a tough matchup tomorrow. But we need to get guys on base and we need to score runs. And we just haven’t done that enough over the last two days.”
[CNN] Why baseball teams party so hard and so often in October – Every year, as the postseason approaches, a carpet-cleaning company in Boston knows to stand by; if a series is clinched, they’ll be called in for a shampooing assignment at 2 a.m. The clubhouse managers try to protect as much of the property as possible, but there is only so much they can do. “No matter how much you clean it, it smells horrible for days,” [Red Sox Clubhouse manager Tom] McLaughlin said, adding that the ceiling tiles turn brown, almost black, and must be replaced.
[Tampa Bay Times] For Rays, stability in dugout is a big part of their onfield success – Cash, completing his 12th season, is the longest-tenured manager in the majors with his current team. Mottola, who was promoted from the minors in September 2016 to replace Derek Shelton, is the longest-serving active hitting coach in the majors. And Snyder, who was promoted from Triple-A Durham after the 2017 season, is tied with Cleveland’s Carl Willis for the second-longest run among current pitching coaches, trailing only Toronto’s Pete Walker (hired in 2013).
[SI] The Best Baseball Rookie Cards From Every Decade – More collectors have embraced building smaller, more focused collections. Consolidating and selling off lower-value cards can make it possible to own several iconic rookie cards that might otherwise seem too expensive or unattainable. If a collector just wanted to own the very best rookie card from each era, which cards would make the cut? Beginning with the 1910s, I selected the most valuable baseball rookie card from each decade… For each decade, I also included an iconic “budget” rookie card under $1,000 for collectors to target with a more modest hobby budget.
KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 30: A general view inside the stadium from outfield seating during the game between the Minnesota Twins and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Monday, March 30, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Mikayla Schlosser/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Kansas City Royals cited two big reasons why they chose to change the dimensions at Kauffman Stadium for the 2026 season. First, the front office hoped that the dimensions would play more fairly, particularly on home runs. Second, the staff hoped that hitters would be able to have a more consistent approach at home and on the road, not needing to tailor their swings based on whatever park they happened to be in.
As far as the former goal goes, it’s too early to tell based on one season of data, butThe K played like a true hitter’s park this season—one of the best hitter’s parks in the league. As far as the latter goal goes, it’s again hard for us to know whether guys had a more consistent approach at home versus on the road. It’s much more difficult for us to judge intent and approach as fans. What we can judge, however, are results, and the results on the road during the first year of the new dimensions at The K were not good.
Here’s a table breaking down how the Royals performed at home at the plate versus on the road:
Location
PA
BB%
K%
BB/K
AVG
OBP
SLG
OPS
ISO
BABIP
wOBA
wRC+
Home
3019
8.50%
18.80%
0.45
.266
.334
.439
.774
.173
.303
.337
110
Away
3064
8.30%
23.00%
0.36
.229
.299
.366
.665
.136
.279
.294
86
The Royals at home were a very good offense. If the 110 wRC+ they accumulated at home was their full-season number, they would slot between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers as the third-best offense in the league. This isn’t a fair comparison, as almost everyone performs better at home than on the road, but it shows that if you thought at times the Royals had a great offense, it was likely during one of their home stands. They have the fifth-highest home wRC+ in baseball, and ended up just one point behind the New York Yankees and the Pittsburgh Pirates, the third- and fourth-place finishers, respectively.
The batting eye at Kauffman Stadium is considered excellent, and we see that contrast in the offense’s results on the road this season. The Royals struck out 150 times more on the road than at The K. They hit 16 more home runs at home this season. Their batting average was 36 points higher in Kansas City. Interestingly enough, they drew a similar number of walks between home and road games.
Overall, the Royals finished with a slightly below-average offense (a 98 wRC+). Their 24-point gap between their home wRC+ and their road wRC+ was the biggest gap in baseball this year. As good as the Royals were at home this year, they were significantly worse on the road, which brought down their overall average. Not for nothing, the Royals had a 40–39 record at home this season to go with a 28–53 record on the road.
What does all of this mean? Is batting at the new-look Kauffman so great for hitters that we need to expect a Coors Field hangover effect? Were the Royals just a bad hitting team buoyed by a great hitter’s park? Was this a large but not unexpected variance between home and road, and due to various factors outside of the batters‘ control, will look more normal next season? Why are we even alive?
I don’t think we have enough information to get good answers to these questions, but for this season we can say that whatever the Royals hoped moving the walls would do to help the team’s consistency between home and road results did not work. Whether this is just variance, whether the Royals need to petition to install the Kauffman batting eye in all stadiums, or whether something else entirely is causing this difference in results (such as needing to get more sleep on the road or something) is up to the Royals to figure out and implement changes.
Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
